The present invention relates to an apparatus for removing toxic materials contained in tobacco, including particulate components such as nicotine or tar, gaseous components and carcinogens, and a method therefor.
Generally speaking, air-conductive filters such as acetate fiber filters are used for removing toxic materials contained in tobacco, especially nicotine and tar, but their absorption abilities are low and they cannot sufficiently trap toxic gaseous materials and carcinogens. A material with a high absorption ability, such as an active carbon, may be used in parallel with these filters, but this is not welcomed by smokers because it adversely affects the tobacco taste. Nevertheless, to minimize the amount of toxic material entering their bodies, smokers should consider the removal of toxic materials from tobacco smoke as a matter of routine. This can be done by using an auxilliary tool such as a cylindrical filter. The inventors of this invention have performed a lot of research on the removal of toxic materials from tobacco smoke and have made the following findings. Tangle and coastal seaweed contain 32% by weight of alginic acid, 20-35% by weight of laminarin, 20% by weight of laminin, 20-35% by weight of mannitol, up to 2% by weight of riboflavin (vitamin B2) and other components. These components have an afinity for water-soluble materials existing in tobacco smoke and have a high ratio of absorbance of nicotine and tar, and further, can remove carcinogens.